For every organization to succeed, several aspects that improve worker to worker and worker to client relationships must be improved. This will create a harmonious working environment where aspects of team work and coordination are applied in achieving organizational goals. Communication and diversity are essential elements that facilitate day to day running of a healthcare organization. They are essential pillars without which patient outcomes will be jeopardized.
Diversity in healthcare is the enhancement of a multicultural environment where healthcare givers and the organization meet cultural, social, and linguistic requirements of their clients. Purnell (2012) pointed out that this will create a culturally competent work place that will lead to patient satisfaction and desired outcomes. Aspects such as ethnicity, race, nationality, heritage, and culture give a person a unique identity. With the globalization of the world, cultural competence and diversity are crucial in the healthcare setting. Patience will feel a sense of respect when healthcare givers can respect their customs, beliefs, values, traditions, and language. As a result, the patients will communicate freely and in an honest way which will act to lower disparities in healthcare hence improving patient results. Also, patients are likely to undertake preventive healthcare and unlikely to miss Doctor’s appointments when they feel understood by their healthcare givers. This is crucial because it will reduce the chances of medical errors and other legal costs in the hospital facilities.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Lack of diversity in a healthcare setting has implications for the patient outcome. When cultural competence lacks in an organization, the result is racial and ethnic disparities in treatment. Celik et al. (2008) named two barriers to diversity which includes: poor systems that do not meet the needs of the patient population and lack of proper communication between healthcare workers and patients. In promotion of diversity, the organization should take steps such as hiring minority health workers, promoting minority leadership programs, developing a feedback mechanism where patients can express their concerns about treatment, and providing health education in different languages.
Proper communication in a healthcare organization can lead to increased productivity. When workers can communicate effectively, incidences of misunderstanding and miscommunication are mitigated hence preventing confusion. This will reduce medical errors that have grave consequences on the patient outcome. Beckett and Kipnis (2009) asserted that communication could also lead to the empowerment of fellow healthcare givers hence making them work with more confidence and direction. A healthy communication culture will be enhanced that will lead to good working relationships that will ensure the goals of the organization are fully met. Good communication can also improve the morale of the workers. When health care givers are involved in various facets of communication in the organization, especially from the leadership, a sense of responsibility will increase, hence improving their delivery towards patient recovery. Poor communication will create a sense of alienation and discontentment that will have an overall effect on the morale of the workers.
Communication barriers in a hospital setting can occur among healthcare workers or between a health worker and a patient. According to Pilnick et al . (2010), the language barrier is the biggest form of communication barrier that can hinder coworkers in a hospital setting to provide quality healthcare. The language barrier may result from when minority ethnic or racial groups are employed in an organization. The most efficient to deal with this is the use of an interpreter, either a hired one or within an organization who understands both languages.
Teamwork communication strategies include communicating goals and objectives to all in the organization, consolidating the organization communication through phone calls, messages, emails, and third party communications. Another strategy involves the use of multimedia and voice options that increase diversity and finally making information available at all times. Coworkers can do several things to each other to enhance smooth running of the organization. They can cover for each other when one is unable to perform their duties, mentor one another especially for the young workers, and offer professional advice. Coworkers can also communicate with one another and unite in completing a difficult or demanding task.
In conclusion, diversity is an aspect that takes care of the minority groups in a healthcare setting. It enhances service delivery as patients and physicians can understand each other better. Proper communication builds teamwork and morale hence improvement patient’s outcomes.
References
Beckett, C. D., & Kipnis, G. (2009). Collaborative communication: integrating SBAR to improve quality/patient safety outcomes. Journal for Healthcare Quality , 31 (5), 19-28.
Celik, H., Abma, T. A., Widdershoven, G. A., van Wijmen, F. C., & Klinge, I. (2008). Implementation of diversity in healthcare practices: barriers and opportunities. Patient Education and counselling , 71 (1), 65-71.
Pilnick, A., Hindmarsh, J., & Gill, V. T. (Eds.). (2010). Communication in healthcare settings: Policy, participation and new technologies . John Wiley & Sons.
Purnell, L. D. (2012). Transcultural health care: A culturally competent approach . FA Davis.
